I could write for ever on this one. Title track is my favorite to date. A great sone in "Orion" no lyrics and some mean solos. "Sanitarium" is another instant classic on this album. My underground favorite is "Dissposable Heros" Fast, long, and has a solo that goes for 1 min. and 10 seconds. "Battery" is also a great opening song, and food for thought---canadian band (you should know) Rush helped put the guys songs in order on the album (they helped)

The Prince of Darkness does all his greatest solo hits with his greatest guitar player by his side (live)!!!! Randy is my favorite guitarist and plays at the top of his game in this album. A must have for any rockers with old school tracks with new solos like "Iron Man" "Paranoid" and has a great guitar solo at the end of "Suicide Solution" Buy this album.

Amazing album. Joe lays down some firey tracks in Surfing with the Alien and Crush. Anybody that has everybeen interested in playing the guitar, or even likes listening to great music, this is a must buy album. You could pay twice the price for the album and it would be worth it.

6. Appetite for Destruction by Guns and Roses

What else can I say? Amazing album and some of the greatest guitar work in late 80's and definetly the best in the 90's. (being that Nirvana killed the guitar solo)

Iron maiden is my second favorite band (to metallica) of all time. The number of the beast has some of their greatest songs, and Dickenson brings something to the band that was missing in the first albums. Amazing album, as all of them are.

Not as good as master of pups. but still has "one" on the album. Had the song not gotten so much radio play, it would be the greatest metal song of all time. Other tracks including the title track, and to live is to die are worth buying the album for. The bass on the album is a little to thumpy for me. I always need to turn down the bass when I put the album in, but all in all great album.

Kirk Hammet has some of his best solo work on their debut album. One of the few revolutionary speed metal albums of all time. Amazing bass player (that is now missed) and James Hets. voice is rough, rugged, and raw. No metallica album would ever be as fast or in your face.

I didn't put Ride the Lightning on here because some of the album is mediocore. Fade to Black and the title track do deserve credit though.

1986. Another old favorite, this time in a sort of industrial meets synthpop meets prog meets 20th century orchestral music vein. Very weird, thoroughly original concept album, with harrowing vocals from lead singer Edward Ka-Spel.

9. Kate Bush by The Dreaming

1982. Freaky, theatrical, demented art-rock. Kate Bush can use her voice in more ways than most, and she really throws everything in here. Far and away her best work.

8. Stormy Six by Macchina Maccheronica

1980. Extremely dense Italian avant-prog. Some of the most intricate composition in all of rock. Some circus music here, too.

1981. Debut of Danny Elfman's spiky, hyperactive New Wave band. Shocklingy catchy tunes, perverse and vitriolic lyrics, theatrical and versatile vocals with plenty of falsetto. Completely amazing. I listened to it three or four times the day I got it.

Yeah, I've already done this twice, but I felt like doing it again in tribute to my discovery of OINGO BOINGO. Also, this time I'm limiting myself to one album per band.

These are not my favorite albums, but these are the albums from the 80s that have had a lasting influence. The albums that capture the "magic" of the 80s (i.e.: Songs From The Big Chair/Tears For Fears, Lexicon Of Love/ABC) would be a different list all together (well, save Purple Rain...see below). I obviously couldn't contain myself to the Top 10. Honorable Mention (yes, essentially #11-#20): Murmur/REM, Master of Puppets/Metallica, Doolittle/Pixies, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back/Public Enemy, Nothing Shocking/Jane's Addiction, Purple Rain/Prince, Daydream Nation/Sonic Youth, Rio/Duran Duran, Pretty Hate Machine/Nine Inch Nails, Pyromania/Def Leppard